Update for December 12  18, 2005

More photos

We've received a number of requests for more photos of the holiday decorations
around the resort, and there are plenty of other photos taken during the week
leading up to MouseFest, so we'll be spreading them out over the next three
or four weeks to enhance your viewing pleasure.

It was moved back to Town Square late last week, but the Magic Kingdom's Christmas
tree was located in the upper Rose Garden for a couple of weeks, which made
for an interesting shot with Cinderella Castle in the background. Photo by
Mark Goldhaber.

With the Christmas tree out of the way and the flagpole moved in front of
City Hall, and before the stage for Regis and Kelly was erected, there was
a great unobstructed view up Main Street from upstairs and the railroad station
all the way to Cinderella Castle. Photo by Mark Goldhaber.

You don't get this view very often. Photo by Mark Goldhaber.

New Year's Eve event details

Those brave enough to face the crowds at Walt Disney World on New Year's
Eve have several options again this year. Three parks will be open past midnight,
and other events will be held at Pleasure Island, Atlantic Dance Hall and
Cirque du Soleil, as well as aboard the ships of the Disney Cruise Line.

The big event, of course, is the hard-ticketed event at Pleasure Island.
The party, for those ages 21 and up only, will feature Smash Mouth on the
West End Stage. S.O.S. Band will be appearing at Motion, Jazz guitarist Paul
Jackson, Jr. will appear at the BET SoundStage Club, and Pleasure Island stalwarts
Stormbringer and The Leonard Brothers will perform at the Hub Stage. The event
runs from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. Walt Disney World Annual Passholders may buy tickets
for themselves and one guest for $79 plus tax, each  a $10 discount
from the regular $89 price. Tickets are still available online (link)
or at 407-W-DISNEY (407-934-7639).

Cirque du Soleil is also hosting New Year's Eve celebrations at 6 and 9 p.m.
Guests receive a glass of champagne and a souvenir program including a limited
edition insert featuring the entire cast's signatures. Ticket prices are $22
over regular La Nouba prices, but it appears that both shows are already sold
out.

Atlantic Dance Hall at Disney's BoardWalk Resort will also be holding a New
Year's Eve bash (link)
for those ages 21 and up. Entertainment will be provided by Herb Williams.
There will be a champagne toast at midnight, and the club will remain open
until 2 a.m. Tickets are limited, and will go on sale at the Atlantic Dance
Hall box office at noon on the day of the event.

At the Magic Kingdom, two sets of celebrations will be held. There will be
a 7:00 p.m. presentation of SpectroMagic and a fireworks show at 8:30 p.m.
for those with younger children needing to get to bed, while another round
of shows will present SpectroMagic at 10:30 p.m. and the fireworks at 11:50
p.m. for those able to stay awake. The park opens at 8 a.m. and will remain
open until 1 a.m. (Morning Extra Magic Hours will have the park opening at
7 a.m. for Disney resort guests.)

Epcot will also feature two big blasts, with Illuminations being show at
7:30 p.m. and 11:40 p.m. The later show will feature an explosive "Auld Lang
Syne" finale. In addition, The Tom Butler Orchestra will play big band and
swing music in the World Showplace's Grand Ballroom, DJs will be playing music
at the China pavilion and the Future World Fountain Stage, there will be Latin
dancing at the America Gardens Theatre and there will be Euro music at the
Italy pavilion. The park's Future World area opens at 8 a.m., with World Showcase
opening at 10 a.m. Both areas will close at 1 a.m.

The Disney-MGM Studios will feature the "Lights, Camera, Happy New Year!"
fireworks show at midnight, along with three Fantasmic! performances at 6:30,
8:30 and 10:00 p.m. Mulch, Sweat & Shears will provide the music at the Sorcerer
Hat Stage, spelled by DJ Charles Miles to keep the music going. Complimentary
hats and horns will be distributed at Soundstage 1 on Mickey Avenue while
supplies last. The park opens at 8 a.m. and closes at midnight. (Evening Extra
Magic Hours will keep the park open until 3 a.m. for Disney resort guests.)

For those staying at the resort who want to start their day elsewhere, there
will also be Morning Extra Magic Hours at Disney's Animal Kingdom (opening
at 7 instead of 8 for resort guests) and Blizzard Beach (opening at 9 instead
of 10 for resort guests).

Those at sea aboard the Disney Magic and Disney Wonder will
not be left out, either. Children will have their own celebration in the Oceaneer
Club and Oceaneer Lab. The teen areas (Aloft and The Stack) will offer teen-only
dance parties. Adults will get champagne toasts and special entertainment
in the adults-only entertainment districts.

The Mickey's 'Twas the Night Before Christmas show is probably the
only time that you can ever see Mickey and Minnie in bed together. Photo by
Mark Goldhaber.

Radisson Resort Parkway announces new discount, name, features

Radisson Resort Parkway, a MousePlanet sponsor, has announced a new discount
for MousePlanet readers. If you book your 2006 room reservation prior to December
31, 2005, you will receive a 20% discount off the lowest available room rates.
In order to receive the special discount, you must type the code 20%2006
in the comments section of your reservation. Without the code, the discount
will not be applied.

When you arrive for your stay, the resort will have already begun operating
under a new name. Effective January 1, 2006, the resort will be known as the
Radisson Resort Orlando-Celebration, to better inform people where they are
located.

Also effective January 1, the resort will be charging a Resort Services Fee
of $7 per room per night, including taxes. The fee will help to pay for several
enhancements to the resort experience, including:

A new Entertainment Director and two assistants to develop a daily activities
program

"Dive-in Movies" around the pool area

Special themed holiday activities, enhanced shuttle service to Walt Disney
World, Universal Studios and Sea World

Mini-refrigerators are soon to be installed in all guest rooms, replacing
the current mini-bars

It will also cover some existing services, such as:

Use of the Business Center - computers, LAN ports and printer

Complimentary in-room high-speed Internet access and usage

Local phone calls and toll-free calls, fax delivery to guest rooms

24-hour access to the Fitness Center

Gated & patrolled parking facilities

USA Today newspaper delivered to the room Monday - Friday

Use of lighted tennis courts, rackets and tennis balls

Bottled water in guest rooms

The resort also now features rooms with the new Sleep Number Bed. Guests
can choose their own individual comfort level of firmness. The Radisson has
received great responses from guests who have reserved these. This room type
is an option, for a $10 upgrade fee, for guests to choose when they book their
rooms.

The Main Street Trolley show, with the dancers now in holiday attire, occasionally
uses the Omnibus instead of the trolley. Photo by Mark Goldhaber.

The Dapper Dans performs with Mickey's Toontown Tuners on Main Street. Photo
by Mark Goldhaber.

Christmas Parade broadcast entertainment listing

Disney has announced the list of performers and other entertainment for the
22nd annual broadcast of the Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade. The two-hour
broadcast, hosted by Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa in Florida and Ryan Seacrest
in California, will air at 10 a.m. EST, 9 a.m. CST, 8 a.m. MST and 2:30 p.m.
PST.

A Float Fit for a Princess featuring special performances in the shadows
of Sleeping Beauty Castle

The telecast will close with both Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resorts
giving performances of "Joy to the World" and "We Wish You a Merry Christmas."
In honor of the Happiest Celebration on Earth, the final number will include
all of the parks around the world, with an international choir with Disney
theme park Cast Members from Paris, Tokyo, and Hong Kong joining in for Disney's
final Christmas wish.

Remember the high-backed chairs that you used to sit in at Pecos Bill's? They've
been shipped off to MouseSurplus. Photo by Mark Goldhaber.

Now you get to sit on these lovely stools at Pecos Bill's. Photo by Mark Goldhaber.

Disney Cruise Line skipping Cozumel, for now

Due to the devastation of Cozumel by Hurricane Wilma, the Disney Cruise Line
has been alternating between Costa Maya, Mexico and Nassau, Bahamas as substitutions
for that port on the Disney Magic's Western Caribbean itinerary since
the beginning of November. The rerouting will continue through the January
28 sailing. (December 17 and January 14 will be Costa Maya, December 31 and
January 28 will be Nassau.) If further rerouting is necessary, announcements
will be made at a later date. For further information, check the Disney Cruise
Line web site (link).

Tufani and Kianga to get playmate

Looks like the elephant herd at Disney's Animal Kingdomthe largest
African elephant herd in North Americawill soon be growing again.
Donna, will be a first-time mother when she gives birth later this month.
There is still a great risk, though. Since 1994, only half of the 24 African
elephant calves born in captivity have survived, partly because many of the
elephants were first-time mothers.

A male elephant named Tufani was born in May 2003 and a female named Kianga
was born in July 2004. Another calf died during the birth process in April.
We wish good health and lots of luck to Donna, her calf, and the elephant
program team.

The Wonders of Life pavilion is preparing for what may be its last hurrah.
Photo by Mark Goldhaber.

But for now, they're serious about making sure that you can't get in there,
with a veritable wall of planters blocking the way. Photo by Mark Goldhaber.

Narnia walk-through opens

Last Friday, Florida First Lady Columba Bush and Florida Department of Education
Chancellor Cheri Pierson Yecke helped open the "Journey Into Narnia:
Creating The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe" walk-through attraction
at the Disney-MGM Studios. Also on hand were the three winners of the "Florida's
Journey into the Land of Narnia" contest, which was created as a part of Just
Read, Florida!, a statewide literacy initiative.

No more smoking at Swan

The Westin chain of hotels going smoke-free effective in January. That means
that the Walt Disney World Swan, which is operated by Westin, will also be
going smoke-free at that time. There will be a designated outdoor smoking
area for those who must light up. Otherwise, all guest rooms, meeting space
and other public areas will be no-smoking areas. Those rooms that currently
permit smoking will likely be undergoing major cleanings to remove any remaining
smoke contaminants.

The Club Cool sign stands out at night. Photo by Mark Goldhaber.

The soda fountains for Krest Ginger Ale from Mozambique were still empty a
couple of weeks after Club Cool opened. Photo by Mark Goldhaber.

Quick takes: Walt Disney World and staffers win awards

Disney's Animal Kingdom and Animal Programs Vice President Beth Stevens
assumed the presidency of the American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA)
during the group's national conference in Chicago.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced
that The Walt Disney Company received three gold awards for helping to reduce
waste, in the areas of community involvement, organic reduction and reducing
carbon monoxide emissions. In 2004, the Walt Disney Company was named the
Program Champion in the "Very Large Business" category.

The WateReuse Association, a national organization involved in advocacy,
public health education and research, named the Walt Disney World Resort as
"Reuse Customer of the Year." The resort was praised for using an average
of more than five million gallons per day of reclaimed water and for promoting
reclaimed water practices since the early 1990's.

Greg Hale, chief safety officer and vice president of Safety, Accessibility
and Advanced Technology for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, was among seven
recipients nationally of the Distinguished Service to Safety Award from the
National Safety Council (NSC), in recognition of initiatives that support
and promote a corporate culture of safety.

Rachel Hutter, currently working on the Expedition Everest attraction,
was selected from 18,000 engineers nationwide to receive top honors from the
National Society of Women Engineers for her work in the field of engineering.

The number of shrink-wrap designs for the "Wrap Your Coke" stations
at Club Cool have themselves shrunk down to two, as many of the old designs
did not provide sufficient brand identity. Photo by Mark Goldhaber.

Important safety tip: When wrapping your Coke, make sure to read the instructions
carefully. Pay special attention to number 1, which states "Do not repeat
the operation with the same bottle. The bottle may explode." Photo by
Mark Goldhaber.

Ears to the ground

The Disney Dining Plan may be available for purchase by Disney Vacation
Club members staying on points beginning in April. We'll report more information
on this story as we get it.

Reportedly, Christmas trees cut from the Walt Disney World forests
are now available through the Walt Disney World Florist for your hotel room
and/or shipping to your home.

There's apparently a line developing behind the Narnia sets
for Soundstage 4 at the Disney-MGM Studios. After the sets from the blockbuster-to-be
vacate the space sometime this spring, preparation will begin for the appearance
of sets from next summer's anticipated blockbuster, Pirates of the Caribbean
2: Dead Man's Chest. Word that we've received indicates that the attraction
will be a walkthrough of movie villain Davy Jones' ship.

We are hearing that waterproof water park gift certificates are now
available. You can buy a gift mini-card  which comes with a strap to
go around your wrist and is tracked with a bar code that will not wear off
in the chlorinated water  and use that for your refreshment and souvenir
purchases. This way, you can leave your wallet in your locker and just use
the waterproof card for all of your purchases.

Magic Kingdom

Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress  refurbishment of seats and carpeting occurring on a rolling
basis; the attraction remains open. However, the Carousel has been returned
to the list of "seasonal" attractions, so its open status may
change at any time.

Main Street Railroad Station  under refurbishment through
December 20. Guests can still board the train at the station,
though the entrance and exit may be relocated during the work. The locker
rental stand area is being converted to stroller rental, with the lockers
moving elsewhere. In addition, the curb in front of the station will be
disappearing to allow easier transit for newly-rented and about-to-be-returned
strollers. The station is also slated to receive new glass, canopies, paint
and so forth.

Liberty Square Riverboat  is not operating due to refurbishment
through April 1, 2006.

Country Bear Jamboree  closed January 37 for
its return from the Christmas Special to its regular Jamboree show.

Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin  will be closed January
4  February 8 for refurbishment.

Epcot

Norway's Stave Church  has now reopened.

Test Track  closed for refurbishment January 9 
February 14, 2006.

The Wonders of Life pavilion  open seasonally. The Pure
and Simple eatery and the Well and Goods Limited shop have been
removed, while the Body Wars, Cranium Command, and The
Making of Me attractions now open when the pavilion is open. The pavilion
is currently closed, and has been removed from park maps. It is now expected
to open one final time from December 18 through the end of the year, then
close for good.

DisneyMGM Studios

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe movie sets  officially
opened on December 9.

Animal Kingdom

Expedition Everest  is scheduled to open in Spring 2006.
The likely official opening date is April 22, which is both Earth Day and
the park's birthday, but previews may start as early as February 2006.

Tarzan Rocks  scheduled to close on January 21, 2006. Its
rumored replacement is a show based upon Finding Nemo, which would
debut in November 2006 after the Theater in the Wild gets a complete makeover.
The stage, lighting and sound system will all be gutted and the theater
will be completely enclosed, as with the Lion King theater in Camp Minnie-Mickey.

Resorts

AllStar Movies Resort  The Fantasia pool closed
January 3  early February for refurbishment. Guests can use the Mighty
Ducks pool or take a complimentary shuttle service (10 a.m.  10 p.m.)
to the other AllStar resorts to use the pools there.

Wilderness Lodge  Roaring Forks Snacks closed January
9  late March for refurbishment. Whispering Canyon Cafe and Artist
Point will remain open, and grab-n-go items will be made available elsewhere
during the refurbishment.

Polynesian Resort  Work is now underway on the complete refurbishment
and upgrading of rooms and hallways in all buildings, which is expected
to be completed by June, 2006.

Contemporary Resort  The South Garden Wing is partially-open
during refurbishment through September, 2006. Rumors indicate that the buildings
may be completely gutted and rebuilt as Disney Vacation Club villas. However,
another rumor states that new DVC lodgings will be built on the current
site of the Disney Tennis Center at the resort, and there is no confirmation
of the either rumor yet. Renovations on the rest of the resort are also
underway, with the tower building being done one floor at a time and the
North Garden Wing to follow, and are expected to run through November, 2007.

Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa  Phase I's four buildings
and Phase II's eight units are complete, Construction on Phase III is underway,
with the six units expected to open between June and December, 2006.

Water Parks

Blizzard Beach  Closed for its annual refurbishment through
December 24.

Typhoon Lagoon  Closes for its annual refurbishment on
December 25 and reopen on February 26, 2006.

Passholder Best Rate Program extended through April 13

The Passholder Best Rate program is now accepting reservations, online only,
through April 13, 2006. In addition, some rates have dropped even lower, with
value resorts going for $49 most nights from January 16 - February 4, 2006.

Radisson Resort Parkway releases rates through the end of 2006

Radisson Resort Parkway, a MousePlanet sponsor, has announced their rates
through the end of 2006. Note that the resort has allocated some rooms as
low as $59.95 most days now through December 22.

Plan ahead and save a few bucks

Walt Disney World's entire ticket price structure changed as of January 2,
2005, to the new Magic Your Way passes. Advance purchase discounts
are only available on tickets above the base ticket of at least 5 days.

Adult/Child Total Cost

1-day

2-day

3-day

4-day

5-day

6-day

7-day

8-day

9-day

10-day

Base Ticket

$59.75 / $48

$119 / $96

$171 / $137

$185 / $148

$193 / $155

$196 / $157

$199 / $160

$202 / $162

$205 / $164

$209 / $167

w/ Park Hopper option

$94.75 / $83

$154 / $131

$206 / $172

$220 / $183

$228 / $190

$231 / $192

$234 / $195

$237 / $197

$240 / $199

$244 / $202

w/ Water Park Fun & More option

$104.75 / $93

$164 / $141

$216 / $182

$230 / $193

$238 / $200

$241 / $202

$244 / $205

$247 / $207

$250 / $209

$254 / $212

(plus 2)

(plus 2)

(plus 2)

(plus 3)

(plus 3)

(plus 4)

(plus 5)

(plus 5)

(plus 5)

(plus 5)

w/ both options

$139.75 / $128

$199 / $176

$251 / $217

$265 / $228

$273 / $235

$276 / $237

$279 / $240

$282 / $242

$285 / $245

$289 / $247

w/ both options, no Expiration

N/A

$209 / $186

$261 / $227

$280 / $243

$308 / $270

$321 / $282

$334 / $295

$382 / $342

$392 / $395

$399 / $347

Advance Purchase Discount

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

$7/$6

$9/$7

$11/$9

$11/$9

$11/$9

$12/$9

Annual Passholders

Receive 10 percent off the price of their lunch meal at selected Walt
Disney World Resort hotel restaurants, and the discount is good for up to
three guests. The offer is valid Mondays through Fridays. Call 407-WDW-DINE
(407-939-3463) for locations and reservations.

Mark (@MPMark) is a veteran of dozens of trips to Walt Disney World starting in 1972, with a few Disneyland trips thrown in for good measure. As a Disney stockholder and a Disney Vacation Club member, Mark is always in touch with what's going on with The Mouse. Mark serves as MousePlanet's Walt Disney World content coordinator. Mark is a senior information technology manager working for the State of New York. He lives in the suburbs outside Albany, New York, with his wife and son.

MousePlanet® is not associated in any official way with the Walt Disney Company, its subsidiaries, or its affiliates. The official Disney site is available at www.disney.com. This MousePlanet Web site provides independent news articles, commentary, editorials, reviews, and guides primarily about the theme park resorts of the Walt Disney Co. All information on this site is subject to change. Please call destinations in advance to confirm the most up-to-date information.